Baer on board at Venice Family Clinic

'Law' exec producer also works with Venice Arts

“Law & Order: SVU” exec producerNeal Baer is an active supporter of many causes, but two that are closest to his heart are also close to home.

Baer, a licensed physician, is a board member of Venice Family Clinic. The clinic’s 500 volunteer doctors provide free health care to more than 125,000 patients a year, offering everything from eyeglasses to asthma treatment to mental health counseling. The needs it addresses every day “epitomize why we need health care reform,” says Baer.

Baer is also on the board of Venice Arts, a non-profit that offers photography and filmmaking classes with an emphasis on reaching underprivileged youths. The org’s programs extend well beyond the Westside — to as far as Mozambique.

“We encourage people to tell their stories,” Baer says. “To have somebody listen to your story is a way of saying ‘I matter.’ ”